Aa
How do I compensate for myself becoming tolerant to adderal
I am currently amid my second semester of my junior year and constantly get frustrated with my brain. I sometimes get lost and get easily distracted. Even worse when I can't pickup a certain formula or topic in math etc. Sometimes I just wanna cry because I'll get the Math or chemistry two weeks earlier then I'll be clueless and so distracted that it's frustrating to me and the teacher. My teacher gets so confused she says I come and go in waves when it comes to my focus. I know when my brain just won't turn on and I feel like an air head with nothing going in my brain. Literally nothing, no calculation, thinking, even creativity is just thrown on the back burner. I just stare off in the random direction and I try to keep my focus but my brain tells me stop literally. My parents get on the computer to look at my grades every night online and they ask what happened to my grades sometimes they'll fluctuate between c and a's. Since my freshman year I've got my Gpa up from a 1.8 to a 3.38 and it's been a real struggle along the way. I wanna be successful in life and I wanna attend medical school but my god I just feel like if I don't take that pill I'm gonna be useless in life. Even that pill helps with my social life and it stops me from slurring my words sometimes and my mouth talks faster than my brain processes. When the pill isn't working or barely working I become more introverted and just kinda isolate myself from people and I don't want that. I'm also a baseball player and it keeps me sharp between the ears and when it's not working I often find myself on the bench because I'll choke and I know when it's the pill. My coach said himself I'm a damn good baseball player but even he notices when I'm just out of it. Literally my whole life revolves around that pill and eventually due to immunity im gonna have to quit the pill but my golly I feel I'm lost on answers and my golly my college experience is gonna be hell without it. Someone help me i feel like I'm in a trap of a slow brain. I've even gone back and forth between is it lead poisoning, is it autism, in the end questioning if it's even add. I'm not hyper in any way shape or form when I'm not on the pill I'm so quit and introverted I often find myself teased etc. That was the life of my freshman year literally. I've looked in lumocity and things like that and when your a kid with no credit card how do you pay for that. My doctor just prescribes a higher dose every time I go but eventually he can't put me on 60 mg I'll be poisoned or something. And by the way I'm 125 pounds and 5ft 5in tall. I wouldn't consider myself skinny but I have a really lean build of muscle. Also that pill makes me feel really full often after a first plate of anything. When you have coaches telling get bigger it's hard to gain weight when your hardly eating anything. Even though without the pill I generally never ate a lot maybe a little more than with the pill but that's common I assume. My doctor looks at me and even the nurses also get a little stunned by how skinny in terms I look. Also if any professional is reading this does adderal mess with pain signal functioning of the toes and hands? Even if it's 32 degrees out and if I don't have heavy gloves on my hands can't keep there temperature and I often can see my hands turning white and even see freckled red and white spots just after a few minutes. Also the same goes for my feet and toes. Also to any medical professional would going vegetarian be an option I've looked into that lifestyle and people say it works wonders with mind clarity and overall body function including bowl, mind clarity, weight, heart, energy, even some say it prevents cancer, and overall inner body peace. With all of this you're probably thinking what is he on about and probably got to in depth but I'm literally looking for answers to an alternative that works and there has to be (I know it). I've searched heaven and earth for answers. I sometimes get close but then something knocks the possibility off my shelf. I'm also slim on resources and knowledge and lately I've been trying to eat better also but It makes it harder when you're mom cooks all you're food and you have whole milk instead of 2 or one percent and golly talk about that saturated fat and I also notice my skin is oily and throughout the day it just feels Grody and nasty. I'm looking for answers pulse help
COMMUNITY LEADER
One more quick question (mainly because I spent 37+ years in education). You said your 8th period. How long are your periods? Do you combine two of them for specific classes? Sounds like a system that gives more options - or is it just a really, really, long school day?
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hey, one thing I forgot to mention a while back was about your comment on your fingers and toes turning white when its cold.
You should look into Raynaud's Disease. (my wife has a minor case of it).
"During an attack of Raynaud's, affected areas of your skin usually first turn white. Then, the affected areas often turn blue and feel cold and numb. As you warm and circulation improves, the affected areas may turn red, throb, tingle or swell. The order of the color changes isn't the same for everyone, and not everyone experiences all three colors."
"Age. Although anyone can develop the condition, primary Raynaud's often begins between the ages of 15 and 30.
Climate. The disorder is also more common in people who live in colder climates.
Family history. A family history appears to increase your risk of primary Raynaud's. About one-third of people with primary Raynaud's have a first-degree relative — a parent, sibling or child — with the disorder."
Secondary Reynaud's can be caused by - "Repetition or vibration: people who have repetitive hobbies or jobs, like typing or playing the guitar or piano, are at risk of Raynaud's symptoms, as are people who are frequently subjected to vibrational movements, such as jackhammer operators
Carpal tunnel syndrome: this condition puts pressure on nerves innervating the hand. It also increases susceptibility to Raynaud's symptoms
Certain medications: certain drugs can induce Raynaud's including beta blockers, migraine medications containing ergotamine or sumatriptan, ADHD medications, some chemotherapy drugs and even some over-the-counter cold remedies"
Treatment - "For people with mild forms of Raynaud's disease, simply wrapping up before leaving the house can be enough to treat most symptoms. If an attack occurs, soaking the hands (or feet) in warm - not hot - water can ease the symptoms and prevent them from worsening.
If stress is a factor, learning to change the way a patient deals with stress can also be of benefit.'
Hope this is helpful!
You should look into Raynaud's Disease. (my wife has a minor case of it).
"During an attack of Raynaud's, affected areas of your skin usually first turn white. Then, the affected areas often turn blue and feel cold and numb. As you warm and circulation improves, the affected areas may turn red, throb, tingle or swell. The order of the color changes isn't the same for everyone, and not everyone experiences all three colors."
"Age. Although anyone can develop the condition, primary Raynaud's often begins between the ages of 15 and 30.
Climate. The disorder is also more common in people who live in colder climates.
Family history. A family history appears to increase your risk of primary Raynaud's. About one-third of people with primary Raynaud's have a first-degree relative — a parent, sibling or child — with the disorder."
Secondary Reynaud's can be caused by - "Repetition or vibration: people who have repetitive hobbies or jobs, like typing or playing the guitar or piano, are at risk of Raynaud's symptoms, as are people who are frequently subjected to vibrational movements, such as jackhammer operators
Carpal tunnel syndrome: this condition puts pressure on nerves innervating the hand. It also increases susceptibility to Raynaud's symptoms
Certain medications: certain drugs can induce Raynaud's including beta blockers, migraine medications containing ergotamine or sumatriptan, ADHD medications, some chemotherapy drugs and even some over-the-counter cold remedies"
Treatment - "For people with mild forms of Raynaud's disease, simply wrapping up before leaving the house can be enough to treat most symptoms. If an attack occurs, soaking the hands (or feet) in warm - not hot - water can ease the symptoms and prevent them from worsening.
If stress is a factor, learning to change the way a patient deals with stress can also be of benefit.'
Hope this is helpful!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, I am going to just deal with meds and food in this post.
Basically, the golden rule with meds is go low and go slow. Doctors then wait for the patient to tell them how things are going before increasing the dose. This breaks down if the patient does not know how to communicate with the doctor, or if the doctor either does not know how medication effectiveness works or simply does not take the time to find out what is going on.
The best way to tell how well the medication is working is the length of duration. Adderall XR should be 8 to 10 hours. See this link - http://www.corepsych.com/2011/05/adhd-medication-dosage/
You are way under that and your dose should be increased or you should be switched to a different medication like Vyvanse which has a longer (and smoother) length of duration. Basically, a 5mg increase should extend your time of effectiveness by two hours. So long story short, you need to tell the doc how long the medication seems to be lasting and ask for an increased dose or a change to Vyvanse (or find a different doc).
This link has a bunch of videos by Dr. Parker that explain in detail the correct use of stimulants for AD/HD. Maybe give that to your doc?
http://www.corepsych.com/2014/08/adhd-medication-videos-stimulants-explained-amp-vs-mph/
Food. Not being hungry is a common side effect. That make breakfast a super important meal for several reasons.
1. Breakfast should happen before you take your med. That way the med doesn't mess up your desire for food.
2. You have the wrong thing for breakfast it will hurt the effectiveness of your med. "Consider diet and nutrition.
A high-fat breakfast can compromise medication effectiveness, delaying
absorption. Juices rich in ascorbic acid/vitamin C or citric acid
(orange and grapefruit) and drinks supplemented with vitamin C may
interfere with the absorption of methylphenidate. Citric acid breaks
down the medication before it has a chance to be absorbed by the body"
3. A high protein breakfast is very important. It will make your med more effective (as well as a bunch of other good things). Cheapest way to go is to buy powered Whey Protein and mix it with milk or water. I use the chocolate flavor and throw in a spoonful of instant coco mix when I take it after a work out. There are many pre-made protein drinks out there, like Ensure, that would also work. Of course, eggs, meat, etc will also work.
But, try a high protein breakfast, I think that you will find your meds to be more effective.
Speaking of food. A Vegetarian diet is not the way to go if you are trying to put on weight. Probably, the worst thing that you could do to your self. People who say the diet works wonders are people who have had really crummy diets, are overweight, etc. You are not in that category. I know of no athlete that has a vegetarian diet. Its just too hard to get the protein and calories that are needed.
Oh, buy protein bars and snack on them during the day. Even if you are not hungry, they are small, good tasting, and will help with weight gain.
They can get expensive so experiment at your grocery store. Health food stores tend to be very expensive.
Getting late here, I have some links explaining the whole ADD thing and the difference between ADHD which I will post next.
Oh, just remembered - high intensity workouts really help concentration for a few hours afterwards. If you can do that after school, it should help with homework at night. Make sure you take a high protein drink after doing so.
Basically, the golden rule with meds is go low and go slow. Doctors then wait for the patient to tell them how things are going before increasing the dose. This breaks down if the patient does not know how to communicate with the doctor, or if the doctor either does not know how medication effectiveness works or simply does not take the time to find out what is going on.
The best way to tell how well the medication is working is the length of duration. Adderall XR should be 8 to 10 hours. See this link - http://www.corepsych.com/2011/05/adhd-medication-dosage/
You are way under that and your dose should be increased or you should be switched to a different medication like Vyvanse which has a longer (and smoother) length of duration. Basically, a 5mg increase should extend your time of effectiveness by two hours. So long story short, you need to tell the doc how long the medication seems to be lasting and ask for an increased dose or a change to Vyvanse (or find a different doc).
This link has a bunch of videos by Dr. Parker that explain in detail the correct use of stimulants for AD/HD. Maybe give that to your doc?
http://www.corepsych.com/2014/08/adhd-medication-videos-stimulants-explained-amp-vs-mph/
Food. Not being hungry is a common side effect. That make breakfast a super important meal for several reasons.
1. Breakfast should happen before you take your med. That way the med doesn't mess up your desire for food.
2. You have the wrong thing for breakfast it will hurt the effectiveness of your med. "Consider diet and nutrition.
A high-fat breakfast can compromise medication effectiveness, delaying
absorption. Juices rich in ascorbic acid/vitamin C or citric acid
(orange and grapefruit) and drinks supplemented with vitamin C may
interfere with the absorption of methylphenidate. Citric acid breaks
down the medication before it has a chance to be absorbed by the body"
3. A high protein breakfast is very important. It will make your med more effective (as well as a bunch of other good things). Cheapest way to go is to buy powered Whey Protein and mix it with milk or water. I use the chocolate flavor and throw in a spoonful of instant coco mix when I take it after a work out. There are many pre-made protein drinks out there, like Ensure, that would also work. Of course, eggs, meat, etc will also work.
But, try a high protein breakfast, I think that you will find your meds to be more effective.
Speaking of food. A Vegetarian diet is not the way to go if you are trying to put on weight. Probably, the worst thing that you could do to your self. People who say the diet works wonders are people who have had really crummy diets, are overweight, etc. You are not in that category. I know of no athlete that has a vegetarian diet. Its just too hard to get the protein and calories that are needed.
Oh, buy protein bars and snack on them during the day. Even if you are not hungry, they are small, good tasting, and will help with weight gain.
They can get expensive so experiment at your grocery store. Health food stores tend to be very expensive.
Getting late here, I have some links explaining the whole ADD thing and the difference between ADHD which I will post next.
Oh, just remembered - high intensity workouts really help concentration for a few hours afterwards. If you can do that after school, it should help with homework at night. Make sure you take a high protein drink after doing so.
Thank you for your time it's means a lot. On to what you were asking I typically lose focus usually around lunch time or during my math class which is my 8th period and most important one of the day
I am currently on 25mg taken once in the morning
1 Comments
i see exactly where you are coming from. Freshmen year i was doing so bad, and i was unmotivated. Im currently a sophmore and i staring taking pills, my grades are improving, but im always on edge. i switched from adderal to vyvanse, it seemed to be a lot better. Vyvanse doesnt kick in as hard as adderal, but still does the job. However, similar to what you were saying..i dont think its working as well as it did last week, its like the pills bipolar in a sense.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Wow, given the length of your post, I can really understand how down you must be feeling. I have been on this site for years and length of post has always been a good indication of how serious a person is.
My first thought is that when you say, "I've searched heaven and earth for answers." You really haven't. A lot of the problems you have mentioned are very typical problems for people with ADHD and can be dealt with. What bothers me is that your doc should have clued you into a lot of this. What kind of a doc is he? Hopefully, not a pediatrician?
So first question is it sounds like you are on Adderall. Is it the extended version or regular? What dose are you on and when do you take it? Med wise, there are things you can do to make it more effective. And there are more effective meds too.
The other question that will hopefully help me help you deals with the duration of the med. When do you notice that you start to lose focus?
So these two questions dealing with type/dose and duration are important.
And I am curious about your doc as he sounds a bit "old school".
Anyway, I am finishing up a vacation and will have a lot more time to help you starting Sat.
There are a lot of your questions I can answer and I will take the time to do so.
Oh, by the way Lumocity while being fun to play, has been proven to do nothing that would help you (except take your money).
This may take a few posts. And I have a lot of links that can help.
My first thought is that when you say, "I've searched heaven and earth for answers." You really haven't. A lot of the problems you have mentioned are very typical problems for people with ADHD and can be dealt with. What bothers me is that your doc should have clued you into a lot of this. What kind of a doc is he? Hopefully, not a pediatrician?
So first question is it sounds like you are on Adderall. Is it the extended version or regular? What dose are you on and when do you take it? Med wise, there are things you can do to make it more effective. And there are more effective meds too.
The other question that will hopefully help me help you deals with the duration of the med. When do you notice that you start to lose focus?
So these two questions dealing with type/dose and duration are important.
And I am curious about your doc as he sounds a bit "old school".
Anyway, I am finishing up a vacation and will have a lot more time to help you starting Sat.
There are a lot of your questions I can answer and I will take the time to do so.
Oh, by the way Lumocity while being fun to play, has been proven to do nothing that would help you (except take your money).
This may take a few posts. And I have a lot of links that can help.
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